Coheed and Cambria “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3”

If by now you don't know who Coheed and Cambria are, this album, “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3,” is the one that got them where they are today. Hits like “A Favor House Atlantic” and “Blood Red Summer” brought them into the public's consciousness and although not necessarily the best, they are good.

On this 2003 album is a ballad with some of the best rock out in the industry today. Lead singer and guitar player Claudio Sanchez's voice has been compared to Rush's lead singer, Geddy Lee, since his voice can also handle very high melodies. Claudio's vocals are not what make this band shine, though, it is the lyrics he writes. All the lyrics are based on a science-fiction novel Claudio is writing, but the topics can also be seen in society's problems.

If the lyrics don't hit you straight in the heart, then maybe the guitar work will. Mixed with slow transitions, fast-paced solos, and grinding power chords, it will most likely make you play air guitar as you listen.

Each song is a progression through Claudio's story. The opening, “The Ring in Return,” is a solid instrumental that would work well in a fantasy movie. The title track is a powerful introduction to what Coheed and Cambria is all about. The album is full of many of the same vocals with the guitars switched up a bit throughout. The fast-paced “Favor House Atlantic” is surely the song that you will learn by heart.

Coheed and Cambria shows its softer side on the last track, “The Light & The Glass.” This eight-minute song brings you through a roller coaster of fast and slow tempos. In the end, this turns out to be a great classic punk rock album, filled with lyrics of a story yet to be finished, and guitars that are filled with more creativity than most modern rock bands.

Coheed and Cambria is not yet done, it has more albums to share with us in the future, and hopefully with the same drive as this one.